Key finding: The theoretically preferred CTB patience measure predicts attitudes toward local investment problems but fails to predict support for complex, future-oriented policies.
Michael M. Bechtel
Professor, Political Science
Michael Bechtel is Professor of Political Economy, Chair of the Department of Political Science, and senior researcher in the cluster of excellence "ECONtribute: Markets and Public Policy" at the University of Cologne. His research explores how societies can address economic and environmental sustainability problems. Current projects analyze mass support for climate action, the politics of natural disasters, and policy responses to economic crises. Bechtel’s articles have appeared in journals such as American Journal of Political Science, American Political Science Review, Journal of Politics, International Organization, Nature Climate Change, Nature Communications, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Upcoming Talks
- European Political Science Society 2026, Dublin
- 29/30 Sep, ECONtribute Cluster of Excellence, University of Bonn and University of Cologne
- 5 Jun 2025, Department of Philosophy, University of Cologne
- 29 Apr 2025, Department of Political Science, University of Chicago
- 3/4 Apr 2025, Citizen Preferences over Democratic Innovations Workshop, University of Münster
Research Areas
Mass Surveys and Behavioral Measurement
Survey instruments including qualitative AI surveys, measures of social norms such as reciprocity, altruism, envy, as well as time and risk preferences, multidimensional preferences and conjoint designs.
Politics and the Economy
What are the sources of political conflict over economic policy and responses to economic crises?
Climate Policy
Addressing environmental challenges requires long-term policy investment. We study the drivers of climate action, climate agreements, and the political economy of environmental regulation.
Designing Public Policy and Institutions
How do public policy design and institutions affect individual attitudes and elections? Which trade-offs are voters willing to make when forming preferences over policy?
Featured Work
Recent Publications
Key finding: Fear and anxiety are strongly affected by the final policy outcome, relatively mildly by outbreak severity, and minimally by response type and rapidity.
In the media:Journal of Experimental Political Science Blog
Key finding: Opposition to preparing for collective threats depends more on informational deficiencies than on personal experience with realized risks.